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The Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1861-1864) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3166334
1 correction by johnkenyonbrowning - Show corrections
SUGAR CULTIVATION AT CLEVE-
LAND.
Amid tho unmistakable signs of material progress which wo seo' ou all sides, nono is moro gratifying to tho truo colonist than tho rapid and cor tain oxtcnsion of agriculture. Tho soil and olimnto of Queensland havo hoon praised long enough, and thoir capabilities ostimntod by sanguine minds as unsurpassed; therefore it is in tho highest dogt-co satisfac- tory to find, with nil tho theorising wo havo heard, that thoro is no paucity in tho colony of those who aro willing nnd havo thoenpucity to bring practise to hoar upon tho development of our resources. Practise is, doubtless, our prosont requirement; hy it wo shall soon gain thnt oxpoiicnco which, perhaps, moro than anything olso, is necessary to ensure tho highost success in agricultural pursuits. Every fact which increases our knowlodgo of tho scionco of cultivating tho earth is valu- ablo; and .whon mun of intelligence and . capital devote their cnurgios and nionns to tho determination ol' fuels sullicient to form tho basis ol' a
systom of cultivation, they deserve to ho regarded as public benefactors. Their oxamplo cannot fail to havo a healthful cfl'cct upon others, and whatever advantages accrue to themselves personally, tbo general com- munity ns certainly benefits, Thoir oxortions stimulate industry and circulate money.
A caso in point is worth nny minibor of supposititious ones, and in this viow, a de- scription of Ibo most extensive sugar planta- tion in Ibo colony cannot but bo wulcomo to all who fool an interest in agriculture. Thia plantation is on tho estate ol' tba Hon. Louis Hope, nt Clovoland ; and it occupios one nf the pleasantest situations in Moreton Hay. It consists of an olovatod tract of land originally moderately timbered with ironbark, gum, and oak trues ; nnd it is bounded on tho south und onst?its loading nspoct?by Baby Bay, and on tho north-east by Boundary Crook ; tho wostorn limit is formed by tho dividing linos botwoeu tho estate and tho lands ol' other proprietors, amongst whom is tho hon. F. E. Bigge, M.fj.O. Tho soil is, for tho most part, a friable loam, reddish brown on tho sttrfaco, and immediately beneath nnd for almost any depth doop red. It is almost entirely free from stone, which is found only in tho form of irregular pebbles, of nearly tho samo color ns tho soil itsolf, and apparently of ferrugi.
nous toxturo. Captain Hope entered upon tho occupation of this estate about six years ugo, nt which limo ho commenced laying out an orchard, and establishing salt works. Amongst his earliest experiments in cultiva- tion wu3 tho planting of a small nursery of sugar-cane, which, by successive propaga- tions and tho introduction of fresh cuttings from other sources, ho continued to enlarge for two or tbruu years. Groat difficulty was experienced for some timo in getting a suffi- cient supply of canes to engage in the culti- vation ol' sugar on tl largo scale, but it lias been effectually surmounted ; nnd tho planta- tion will henceforth need littlo extraneous
assistance.
At thc present moment thero is an aroa of about twenty acres cropped with canes, which were planted at different times sinco Juno, 1802. About thirty acros moro has been cleared, and will shortly bo put undor crop; so that by this time next year, the plantation will oxtond to botwoon sixty and seventy acres. Thc process of preparing tho ground has been by ploughing and cross-ploughing, so as to thoroughly expose tho soil to tho notion of the snr. and air. It is a moot ques- tion, however, how fnr ploughing is necessary. When thc plough is used, a good plan is to return it along thc furrow, so us to throw up the soil in ridges with trenches be- tween for tbo storm water to run off clear of tho roots of tho canes. Holes are then hoed in tho ground, about a foot deep, for tho re- ception of tbo cuttings, much in tho saino way as for n Corn crop; tho earth from the holes being allowed to Ho around. Thu canes
aro propagated by cuttings or slips, consist- ing of tbo top nnd two or throe pieces of tlio uppor part of tho plant, each pieco about niuo inchoS long nnd including from two to four "oyes," ono o'f whlcli rip'poarS on ovory joint ?of tho oano. Wo maj', Iiowovor, conveni-
ently givo hero a'description ol'tho Sugar cano from a popular work, The Penny Cyclo- paedia, iu which tho wholo subject is treated with much intelligence :?" Tho height attained by tho canes, thoir color, tho length of their joints, and many other particulars, vary with different spoclos, with tbo character of tho soil, and with tho nioiios Of ctllttiro. ndoptod. Tho stems vary in height from oigbt foot up even to twenty feet, nnd nro divided by prominent annular joints into short lengths. Long nar- row loavos sprout from oaeh joint; hut us tho canes approach maturity, all thoso from tho lowor joints fall off. Tho outor part of tho oano is hard and brittlo, but tho iiinor consists of a, soft pith, which contains thosweot juice;; this juice hoing elaborated separately In oneil joint, independently of those abovo and below it." Tho ronder will understand from this that tho canos afford cuttings for planting ns wallas a length fortho sugar factory. Tho bolus havo boen dug nt various distances on this plantation?six foot between tlio plants by oigbt feet between tho rows, and oven so much as twolve foot by oigbt. Subsequently it was found tbat tho spaces wcru too wide, tbo canes hoing linblo to injury by tho wind, and grass and weeds having room to grow ; nnd, to cure theso ovils, additional cuttings were put in so ns to make tho spaces nearly uniformly six by throe or four foot. This ex- periment has, so far, answered vory woll. Tho host ordor of planting bas, howovor, yot to bo determined; for it is various iu tho East and Wost Indies and Mauritius, to whoso climntcs ours does not correspond in many particulars. Tho cuttings nro separately de- posited in tho bolos, and covered lightly "with oarth. In ton days or a fortnight thu sprouts show up, whon moro earth is put into tho bolus; and so on, ns tbo young plants grow, until tho holes aro quito filled, nnd, whni is bettor, tho earth immediately around tho plants is tho highest in tho plan- tation. Of courso, nt first, weeds spring np apaco, which necessitate tho exorcise of vigilance to koop tho ground clear and prevent tho plants from hoing choked. Whon, howovor, tho plantation is well ndvnncod, thu strong growth of tho canes effectually kills off woods. Tlio poriod required for tho canes to nrrivo at maturity is uncertain, and must dopond in a considerable dogroo upon tho time of planting?whether this operation bo performed nt n stilted season or regardless of it; for it is not uncommon in othor countries to plant justus it suits thu convenience of tho proprietor. As wo inontioned nbovo, Captain Hope has experimented in regular mid irre- gular plantings. Yollow canes which woro planted in August last yoar aro uonr perfec- tion ; and so, -also, uru some inn plo ernies, which woro planted so fur back as Juno twelve months. Ho has since planted both those .descriptions ovory .month' iii tho your, iniid also' sotno'Tahitian canes,:, and buttings fi'om'ripo as '..well as niatuio .canes strike','.' It, will bo remembered thiit tho oldest canes hail, to stand tbo long drought of,18('i2, mid the hotivy rains which succeeded; so that they havo arrived nt maturity through most oxeup tiontil seasons. Whon ripe tho canoe tnko no hurt hy roinaining in thc ground ; mid when Ibo manufacture of sugar' is in progress limy ure only out ns required for Ibu mill. Tho crop oaniiot bo taken off tho fluid nnd kept waiting liko a sheaf of wheat or a houp of maize; but the cano must bu ground as frosh ns possiblo.
Tho growth of Ibo sugni'*eaiio ia greatly improved hy tho judicious application of manille, mid this cnn bo done best while tho bolos ate being filled up round tho young plants. Somo canes adjacont ton pig-sty on the plantation havo t liri von amazingly, as compared with tha general growth, through thu stimulating propel ties of tho refuse of tho sty. Thu ripe canes generally average from six to oigbt fcot in height, which is by no means tba maximum of what thu same de- scription attain in other countries ; nnd they vary from ono and n half inch to threo and a half inches in diameter, lt lins huon found that tho purple cana is tho most prolific, sending out nu average of fourloon canes to tho ulolo or root; and it is hardier than tho yellow cane, whioh gives an avorago of only suven ennos to tho stole. Tho yellow cano, howovor, yields tho best sugar. It must bo understood that wo aro spuaking of plnnt-canes only, or those propagated from cuttings. When tho present crop is cut, thu rnttoons will spring up from tho old roots, and they nro considered tho bust canes. It is allowed that in addition to tho first crop of plnnt-cnnos, six crops of rnttoons cnn bo taken off tho samo stoics. At tho end of seven years tbo old stoles aro taken up and now cuttings planted in their stolid ; though wo havo road that undor favorable ciroumstanccH, in the Wost Indies, rattnoiiB have boon raised from tho same Btolos for twonty yoars in succes- sion. Tho canes mufit bo cut ns closo to tho ground ns possiblo, in order to sccttro tho grontest quantity of sugar, tho richest of tbo juico hoing in tho lowest joints; mid tho stumps should ho covered over with earth.
Au oxpcriniont mndo lately by Captain Hopo, was of tho most satisfactory character, showing tbnt though bis canes havo not reached tho maximum height, thoro is no lack of sugar in thom. Tho test of tho snechnro metor gives tho juico richer qualities than ara found in tho nverago of Wost Indian canos. Twenty-four canes yielded seven gallons nf juico, from willoh was produced tho splendid samplo of sugar which was oxhibited in Brisbane a fow weeks ago, and which nt tlic time wns referred to in our
columns. Wo regret that wo woro led into an error in stating that " a cask" of sugar had boon mado for exportation, having nineo ascertained that thu quantity did not exceed a dozon pounds. Another interesting experi- ment was in progress wliilo wo wero on tho plantation, but owing tn tho illness of tho ovcrseor, iii*. Strachan, it wus not completed np to tho close of our visit.
Thu economics of a sugar plantation nre most comprehensive; lint at present it is only necessary to montion that Ibu upper loaves nf tho canus aro excellent food for cnltlo, and that the trash?which is tho nnmo givon to thu leaves plucked off during tho growing of thu cano or when it is fit for cutting?is ex- cellent manure, and if loft on tho ground hoops down weeds, or it may bo used us fuel. It is requisilu to clear thu canes from loaves wliilo they uro growing, so that insects may lind no barber under thom. Tho sugar-cane is subject to tho uttaoks of destruc- tive insects if such precaution ho not tuleen. Wo may further remark, that our wintor does not chock tho growth of tho canes vory much; that tho almost entire absonco of frost on tho shores of tho Bay is in their favor; that ruin or drainage water lying about tho roots is most injurious; tbat thc canes must not hu cut during tho prevalence ol', or immediately after, rainy weather, hut in dry and settlod weather; mid that they will como to perfec- tion only in tho dry season.
A mill in in course of uroction on tho estate for tlio manufacture of sugar. The founda- tions for tho steain-oiigine, and other ma- chinery, and a square brick chimney, sixty feet high, have just been completed. Hy tho Bhip Itockhnmplon, tho wholo of tho plant, consisting of an eight-horso powor eugine and a buttery of pans, is daily expected. Tho working capacity of this machinery is csti
mated as equal to tho reqitiietiicnts of a plan- tation of ono thousand acres; or, it will crush six tons of cano, the produco of three acres of ground, lu twenty furn* hours, lt is not intended, howovor, to npnrato upon moro than threu tuns a-duy, or an acre
and a-linlf of canes, which eau bo ell'eeted during daylight. We may summm-iae tho otbei improvements on tho estate: ? They con- sist of a substantial jetty, which has been run out into the Bay, andl which is connected with the main works by a tramway of more than two hundred yards long, and its train of trucks; a kiln for burning limo to clarify tho sugar?it is at presont used in connection with building purposes; workmen's buts, overseer's and storekeeper's hoUsos, store,
blacksmith's shop, tho proprietor's rosidouoo, tho salt works, orchard, garden. Sse. Thero arc seventy people working on tho estate, or connoctcd with the works carried on there.
Without going into any speculations on tho subject, wo think wo liuvo stated sufficient to convince our readers that there is " a reasonable chance" of tho cultivation and niaiiiifaCturo of sugar hoing fairly tried in Queensland. Every thing, so far, has tended to succoss with thu canes, mid this in spito of extraordinary difficulty of season and other- wise. Thus much wo aro warranted in say- ing, spito of tho oxpcriinoiitnl character of tho cultivation. Tho result of tho inanufacturo remains to bo seen. No ono who is awuro of the otitorpriso of Captain Hopo, or who is eapablo of forming an idea, from whnt wo h'nye doscribed, of tho enormous expense ho has in- curred in it, will withhold- a hearty wish for
its success.
Tho Hon. Mr. Bigge is about to commenco sugar' growing. Adjacent to tho estnto of Captain Hopo ho lins fourtcon acres of the red-soil, which is now hoing clonrod ; and it will bo planted with canes before many months pass._